4
Impendulo Ka-Elifazi
1 Wasephendula u-Elifazi umThemani wathi:
2 “Nxa umuntu angaphosa ilizwi nje kuwe uzacunuka na?
Kodwa ngubani ongathula angakhulumi na?
3 Khumbula ukuthi sewabafundisa njani abanengi,
ukuthi ubaqinise njani abalezandla ezibuthakathaka.
4 Amazwi akho abasekele labo abakhubekayo;
uwaqinisile amadolo axegayo.
5 Kodwa manje uhlupho luze kuwe, usuphela amandla;
lukutshaya ubusudela ithemba.
6 Kungani ukukholwa kwakho kungabi yiso isibindi sakho na
lezindlela zakho ezimsulwa zibe lithemba lakho na?
7 Khumbula manje: Ngubani owathi engelacala wabhubha na?
Kungaphi lapho abaqotho abake babhujiswa khona na?
8 Ngokubona kwami labo abalima okubi
lalabo abahlanyela ububi bavuna bona.
9 Ngokuphefumula kukaNkulunkulu bayabhubha;
ngokukhwaza kolaka lwakhe bayafa.
10 Izilwane zingabhonga zihwabhe,
kodwa amazinyo ezilwane ezinkulu ayephuka.
11 Isilwane siyafa ngokuswela ukudla
besekuthi imidlwane yesilwanekazi ihlakazeke.
12 Kulethwe ilizwi kimi ngasese,
indlebe zami zilizwile linyenyezwa.
13 Phakathi kwamaphupho adungayo ebusuku,
lapho abantu belele obukabhuka,
14 ukwesaba lokuthuthumela kwangifikela
kwenza wonke amathambo ami aqhaqhazela.
15 Kwathi tshazi umoya emehlweni ami,
wahlasimula umzimba wami lenwele zami zema.
16 Umoya lowo wema,
kodwa kangikwazanga ukuthi kuyini.
Kwakumi into phambi kwamehlo ami,
ngasengisizwa ilizwi elihelezayo:
17 ‘Kambe umuntu angalunga ukwedlula uNkulunkulu na?
Umuntu angahlanzeka kuloMenzi wakhe na?
18 Nxa uNkulunkulu engazethembi izinceku zakhe,
nxa ebeka izingilosi zakhe umlandu ngokona,
19 pho-ke kuzakuba njani kulabo abahlala ezindlini zodaka,
ozisekelo zazo zisothulini,
abahlifizeka lula njengenondo!
20 Phakathi kokusa lokuhlwa bayabhidlizwa babe yizicucu;
bengananzwa langubani, bayabhubha kokuphela.
21 Izintambo zamatende abo kazidonswa na,
bafe bengelalwazi?’ ”